The celebration was attended by Patrick Gaonach, Zone President of Schneider Electric; Michael Dallala, Vice President of IT Business; Toni Merino, Vice President of Retail; Noemí Sobrino, Vice President of EcoBusiness; and Miguel Del Moral, Director of IT Distribution, all from Schneider Electric Spain. The event, held at PANGEA, the world's largest travel store located in Madrid, brought together nearly one hundred Schneider Electric distributors and partners who attended to assess the current market situation.
Patrick Gaonach, Zone President of Schneider Electric, welcomed attendees and presented the company's current situation, highlighting its revenue growth in 2015, which exceeded €26 billion. He emphasized the fundamental role of distribution in the company's present and future strategy, as well as the significant transformation Schneider Electric has undergone in the last 10 years: “In the last 10 years, we have tripled our size, diversified our geographic presence, particularly in emerging economies, and significantly strengthened our portfolio with over €10 billion invested in R&D and major acquisitions in the software sector. This transformation allows us today to respond to and, together, Schneider Electric and its distributors, capitalize on the new opportunities arising from digitalization.”.
In his address, Michael Dallala, Vice President of IT Business at Schneider Electric Spain, also highlighted the fundamental role of the partner and distributor network and thanked them for their work over the past year, which has generated double-digit growth in the IT distribution channel. As the Vice President of IT stated, distribution represents “the core business of Schneider Electric’s IT division: from power strips and battery packs for home and small office environments to infrastructure solutions for data centers and UPS systems in enterprise environments.”.
Dallala also emphasized how markets are evolving and how, in recent years, changes have accelerated, making the environment increasingly volatile and complex: “Markets are being reshaped at great speed, and digitalization and disruptive technologies are constantly redefining our business models.” Given this reality, the executive stressed Schneider Electric's need to work closely with the distribution channel. “This scenario is yet another reason why, to grow, we must work together, with greater transparency, more shared objectives, more commitment, and greater collaboration from both sides. We must be a perfect partnership to reach every corner of Spain, provide the broadest possible coverage, and have the agility and adaptability to seize new opportunities.”.
The final destination of the trip was the now-traditional awards ceremony recognizing the best performances of 2015. Tech Data took home the award for Best Distributor, and Dell won Best OEM Partner. Bechtle was recognized as the most committed reseller, while Cad&Lan won the award for fastest-growing reseller.
With the celebration of the IT Distribution Gala, Schneider Electric reaffirms its commitment to the distribution channel and its willingness to continue strengthening collaboration with its partners in the coming years.

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